Letter-drop for doors.



G. E. SEYMOUR.

LETTER DROP FOR DOORS.

APPLQOATION FILED APR. 22, 1910.

Patented July 9, 1912.

- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINBTD D. C.

UNTTED %TATE@ PATENT @FFTUE.

GEORGE E. SEYMOUR, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'I'O AMERICAN CARAND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

LETTER-DROP FOR DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1910.

Patented Jui a, 1912.

Serial No. 557,102.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SEYMOUR,residing at New Albany, Floyd county, Indiana, and being a citizen ofthe United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLetter-Drops for Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the eX- act details of construction shown and described, asit is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to personsskilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a letter dropembodying the features of the present invention, a fragment of a doorbeing illustrated. Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough taken onthe plane indicated by line 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the directionindicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on theplane indicated by line 33 of Fig. 1, looking downward, the slotcovering flap being omitted. Fig. 4: is a view in side elevation of thereverse side from that seen in Fig. 1.

The present invention is especially adapted for sliding doors, andparticularly for such as are employed in railway car construction, wherethe door is designed to be slid into a closely fitting pocket, and oneof the objects in view is the provision of the letter drop structurewith its closure all embraced between the planes of the side faces ofthe door to avoid interfering with the sliding of the door.

Referring to the drawing by numerals: 1, 1 indicate the side plates of adoor of any ordinary construction between which is disposed the casting2, which is made up of side and end attaching flanges 3, 3 and anintervening connecting web 4 with suitable cross and diagonal webs 5, 5connecting the flanges 3 and web 4. The web 4 is disposed between theplanes of the side faces of the door with the flap 6 at one side and alocking button 7 at the other, all lying between the planes of the sidefaces of the door. l/Veb 4 is formed with a horizontal opening 8 foradmitting letters and other mail matter, and the said slot is normallyclosed by flap 6 which comprises a fiat plate with up standing lugs 9, 9terminating in alined eyes 10, 10 through which is passed the pivot pin11, said pin 11 being sustained by being passed through depending andoutstanding blocks 12, 12 formed integral with the webs 4t and 5. Flap 6is thus hinged in position for normally hanging across and closing theopening 8, and is held closed by a helical spring 13 coiled about pin 11with one end engaging one of the arms 9 and the other end engaging aportion of the web 4:. A handle 14 is formed integral with and outstandsfrom the outer face of flap 6.

The button 7 may be of any suitable type, and consists of a disk likebody pivoted on the retaining rivet 15 fixed to flap 6, the said bodyhaving a radially projecting portion 16 adapted at times to overhang aportion of the web 4 for locking the flap 6. To facilitate manipulationof the button an outstanding fiange 17 projects from the radial portion16; hen the car is in service the button 7 is turned to the unlockedposition indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 so that the flap can belifted, but when the car is temporarily out of commission the button 7is turned to the locked position indicated in Figs. 2 and 4.

Flanges 3 are engaged by retaining rivets 18 extending through the sideplates of the door for securing the letter drop in position.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a sheetmetal door com prising spaced side plates, of a casting l0- oatedbetween said plates and dished on both sides to form an intermediateweb, a mail opening and a socketed recess in said web and a springactuated flap riveted in said socketed recess and covering the mailopening.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a sheetmetal door comprising spaced side plates, of a casting located betweensaid spaced side plates and In Witness whereof I have hereunto setdished on both sides to form an intermedimy hand in the presence of twoWitnesses.

ate Web peripheral attaching flanges on the said casting, a mail openingand'a socketed SEYMOUR recess in said intermediate Web and a springWitnesses: actuated flap pivoted in said socketed recess MELCHERT Z.STANNARD, and covering the mail opening. H. W. O. LIPPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for' five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. q.

